Up a tree

One of our cats is up a tree...literally...after escaping from the house two days ago...after hours of calling his name...after hours of scanning the far reaches of the earth...we found him 100 feet away in a tree...

Why do we assume that every time somebody/thing in our life "takes a break," it's to take off on a far-away adventure? Maybe sometimes people just need to get away from what they are used to for a while to catch their breath. Of course, cats are not humans, even though we talk to them as if they are, but even if they had the same genetic make-up, etc., would they travel far when given the opportunity?

Of course, we all take our travels. We all venture out at one time or another in our life. But really, where do the great majority of us eventually end up, or really want to end up? Back home, or at least close. Age has a funny way of letting us forget the adventure and return to the comfortable. Yes, we move to far away places...we take extended trips...we experiment with a different location....but in the end, even that magic goes away. When we can no longer climb mountains, try new jobs, try new lifestyles, try "perfect" places to live...we glance towards home. Why? Maybe because it's the only real place we know...maybe it's the only real place that can give us true comfort. No, it's not perfect...it's not ideal...it may even hold bad memories...but it is home. It may be the only place where, eventually, you'll run into someone who says "Oh my gosh, it's so good to see you again! How have you been?" More importantly, they'll probably mean it.

Oh, our cat will come down...as someone said "Have you ever seen a cat skeleton in a tree?" And I know once he is home and safe in the house, we'll say "How have you been?"...and mean it....